Wednesday, January 09, 2013

London's Underground Railway Jan 9, 1863 : 150 Anniversary

Railway construction in the
United Kingdom began in the early 19th century, and six railway terminals had
been built just outside the centre of London by 1854:London Bridge,Euston,Paddington,King's Cross,BishopsgateandWaterloo.At this point, onlyFenchurch Streetstation was located in the actualCity of London. Traffic
congestion in the city and the surrounding areas had increased significantly in
this period, partly due to the need for rail travellers to complete their
journeys into the city centre by road. The idea of building an underground
railway to link the City of London with the mainline terminals had first been
proposed in the 1830s, but it was not until the 1850s that the idea was taken
seriously as a solution totraffic congestion.The Metropolitan Railway opened on 9 January 1863(the general public admitted next
day), and was carrying over 26,000 passengers a day within a few months of
opening.